This invention relates generally to the field of theft deterrent systems. More particularly it relates to systems for deterring the theft of relatively small objects of merchandise such as wallets, pocketbooks, organizers and the like.
The problem of pilferage of merchandise is widespread, costing businesses many millions of dollars annually. This problem is particularly acute in the retail sales environment and especially in situations involving the display of relatively small articles which can easily be concealed by shoplifters. Special problems are presented by relatively high cost objects such as those made of leather including wallets and pocketbooks which are small enough to be concealed, but which potential purchasers prefer to examine closely before buying. There is therefore a need for a system which will deter theft while still permitting the potential customer to examine an item such as a wallet or a pocketbook prior to purchase.
Systems for clamping tags to small items such as eyeglasses and jewelry are known. See for example the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,836 to the present inventor. Also known are devices for securing electronic tags and labels to articles. An approach used in clothing retailing is to provide a tag containing an ink vial which breaks if an attempt is made to remove the tag from the garment without a special tool. The ink permanently stains the garment, thus denying its benefit to the pilferer. A device of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,024. Such an approach is not very useful for objects made of leather and the like such as wallets.
There is therefore a need for a theft-deterrent device to deter the theft of objects such as wallets and which is relatively simple and inexpensive.
The present invention is directed towards a system and method for deterring the theft of objects such as wallets in a simple and highly cost effective manner by utilizing the benefit denial principle. More particularly, the present invention deters theft by at least partially destroying the object if an unauthorized attempt is made to remove the theft deterrent device. Unlike systems of the prior art, the present invention does not require complex tools for installation or removal of a theft deterrent device. In addition, the system is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.